The pain of Childbirth

There....I said the words we all don't want to hear! sorry girls but I got a question about it....

A few years ago I ended up in hospital with pylonephritus, which to me and you is a kidney infection. It was bloody painfull and the nurses told me it was more painfull than childbirth. Needless to say I was given strong painkillers in hospital, pethadine infact, which took the pain away but made me feel very out of it and weak. I happened to get chatting to a lady out shopping today and she mentioned the pain of giving birth to be the same as kidney stones so this got me thinking about it and to be perfectly honest made me feel a bit cocky that I have already experienced pain similar to birth.

Does that sound insane? lol

Anyway I just wondered if any of you have experienced anything similar or heard anything along them lines?

From experience Urchin I have to disagree. The nurses knew I didn't have kidney stones, but an infection. I was in hospital in absolute agony for 3 days being given pethadine in my bum when the pain made me scream out. I'm not being a drama queen, it really was terrible pain to the point that I passed out and thought I would die!
You sound pretty confident that you know what a kidney infection is like, have you had pylonephritus?

Don't mean to sound off with you but your post was a little matter of fact and slightly patronising. Or maybe i'm just being protective over my "kidney infection v.s childbirth theory" lol

Hi Lou,
I know what you mean. I had a major spinal operation a few years ago and after each of the operations I had an epidural for a couple of days (which was great) and then liquid morphine which didnt really help and I screamed my head off in pain. And I to feel as I have come though something that traumatic I feel better geared up to deal with childbirth. The birth hasn't been worrying me at all. cause when your in hospital with something wrong with you it feels like there is no end and it really gets you down. With having a baby even if it takes 20-30 hours, so what, its a day out of your life and you have your baby at the end of it. I spent a month in hospital and six months in a back brace where I had to learn to walk again. I couldnt feed or wash myself and I couldnt even roll over in bed without assistance. So Im really not worried. Im allergic to pethadine and I have to see the anethatist as they dont think I will be able to have an epidural because of dificulty siting it around the metal work in my back. So Im going to have to have a pretty natural child birth whether I like it or not.

As for the pain factor, it seems to be different for everyone, I know some people who have found it pretty straight forward and other people who have had a nightmare time. there are a lot of contributing factors. I think it will certainly help you going into this with your relaxed positive attitude as being relaxed seems to make a big difference on how painfull it is to.

Cat you know exactly where I'm coming from That is what I meant totally. Jesus you have had a rough time of it haven't you? I am having to see an anethatist soon about having an epidural as I have spina bifida occulta. Its all very complicated because I only found out I had it after I sneeked a peek at my notes while in hospital having laser treatment for abnormal cells on my cervix. Basically when I reached puberty I started having bad pains in my hips and legs so following an x-ray the Dr's said I have clicky hips and my hip sockets are deformed which would probably result in arthritus later in life. And that was that till I read my notes and dicovered that the x-ray they took also showed spina bifida occulta but they never bothered to tell me! When i asked my GP about it they sent me for an another x-ray but it was taken at the wrong angle and was inconclusive and that was the end of it more or less! However when I fell pg my GP recommended 5MG of folic acid a day to help the babies spine develope and so far all is looking good on the ultrasounds.

As far as the epidural goes because my spine is split I really don't know what they are going to say? If I can't have an epidural then I don't want pethadine because it made me feel so weak and crap when I had it before.

Sorry if I've bored you! Glad to hear you have recovered from your ordeal. Like you said at least with giving birth it is all positive.

Guest

I've heard that IBS pain can be similar to/worse than childbirth, I know, I've experienced it too!!

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really?! That's good then because that pain is the worst pain I have veer felt in my life and I think I'm gonna die so if childbirth is like that I'll cope!

IBS is Irritable Bowel Syndrome (sounds horrid when u say it that way) eugh . It's where you bowels are not working as they should sometimes and can cause you to have constipation which lasts ages and is agonising - really angonising, and then also diahorrea, or in my case - both. Each spell can last up to 2 days with me and I usually have a mix of both 'outcomes' and vomiting occasionally (sorry TMI I know).
Thats the evil that is IBS. Some people have it worse or not as bad as me though. Everyone is different.

Guest

frightening eh I haven't ever passed out from it but have been bent over with pain many times when out all of a sudden - so embarressing when it sets in when you are out and you keep going to the loo to try and poo but it doesn't happen and you either go up and down 10 times in 2 hours or you spend the whole 2 hours there trying to poop or trying not to poop sometimes TMI. Glad I haven't had a serious attack for a while now.

cheer Lou - I take peppermint tablets prescribed my the docs as they are the natural way to treat it (don't like pills much) and they have almost stopped the attacks

Guest

I know - seems a nicer convo about it on here (dispite graphic ibs stories) than I get from my MIL who just keeps saying "it's gonna hurt - its gonna really hurt, you'll never feel such awful pain like it, it's gonna hurt". I just wanna shout at her "F*CK OFF!!! I KNOW!!! Stop scaring me with horrer stories all the time!" but then I guess I should be nice

Guest

LOL yeah- she told me whilst drunk once that if she annoy's me about anything then for me to tell her to P**S off but I don't have the heart to! As annoying as my in laws are - they are providing me a home rent free till the baby is born which is nice of them. So I daren't say too much. When she's drunk though I tell them to bog off all the time she never remembers

You all sound like you have suffered so much with pain, I have never had IBS or a kidney infetion but they sound awful. All I can say I child birth is nothing like them, although its really painfull its pain for a reason instead of the needless pain of an infetion which in my opinion makes it seem a lot better, you some how don't mind as much cos you know your getting somewhere and there is a end to it!

Rosieroo..Its funny you should say that because I have also suffered from bad period pains from the age of 10 and they only stopped when I went on the pill aged 20. I tried ponstan from my GP, which is a muscle relaxant, but ended up dosed up on feminax every month instead. I used to pass out and throw up with the pain. Anyway when I went to the Doctors the other day and the nurse examined my belly she said I had very strong stomach muscles to which I replied "well I don't know why because I do no exercise atall"!. I then told her I had suffered from bad period pains for years and she said that could be why my muscles feel so tight.